Container body receiving cell construction for paper container making machines



Nav. 26, 1957 A, wrr-rKu Ns ET AL 2,814,497

CONTAINER BODY RECEIVING CELL CONSTRUCTION FOR PAPER CONTAINER MAKING MACHINES Original Filed April 26, 1951 INVENTOR. Bruno A.Wittkuhns Gilbert F.HH|- Y McxweH E. Sparrow ATTORNEY.

CONTAINER BODY RECEIVING CELL CONSTRUC- TION EFSOR PAPER CGNTAINER MAKING MA- CHIN Bruno A. Wittkuhns, Summit, and Gilbert F. Hill, Madison, N. J.

Original application April 26, 1951, Serial No. 223,011. Divided and this application June 16, 1953, Serial No. 370,767

3 Claims. (Cl. 279-57) The present invention relates generally to machines for making paper containers, and more particularly is directed to improvements in container body receiving cells in machines of the described character and is a division of our prior filed and copending application, Ser. No. 223,011, filed April 26, 1951, for Machine for Making Paper Containers, now Patent 2,719,466, granted October 4, 1955.

Paper containers have, prior to this invention, been made in various shapes and forms for holding milk, fruit juices and other liquid or free flowing materials. Certain of these previous paper containers have been formed to the general shape of glass bottles, that is, a shape or form including a cylindrical lower portion and a truncated conical, contiguous neck portion. Paper containers having the described shape are particularly desirable and convenient for the packaging and transportation or delivery of milk and other liquid products since such containers are suited for filling on existing standard glass bottle filling equipment and may be conveniently grasped and carried at the truncated neck portion thereof.

As shown in the co-pending applications of Bruno A. Wittkuhns, H. George D. Nutting and Gilbert F. Hill, Serial No. 85,781, filed April 6, 1949, now Patent 2,642,785, granted June 23, 1953, Serial No. 85,782, filed April 6, 1949, now Patent 2,642,784, granted June 23, 1953, and Serial No. 85,783, filed April 6, 1949, now Patent 2,674,929, granted April 13, 1954, paper containers simulating the shape of glass bottles may each be formed from a rectangular blank and a curved blank, cut from respective continuous webs or strips of paper, and paired for winding together into a container body of double-ply construction, with the curved blank providing the truncated conical neck portion of the body and being interleave-d during the winding operation with the rectangular blank which forms the cylindrical portion in a manner to form a mid-sectional joint. The paper plies forming the container body are bonded together by an adhesive layer sandwiched therebetween, and the contracted end of the neck portion is spun over and shaped to form a reinforced mouth at that end of the container body for supporting and retaining a removable closure, while the large or bottom end of the container body is closed by a bottom disc having a depending marginal skirt which is spun inwardly together with the adjacent end portion of the container body to form a rolled bead sealing the bottom of the container body and providing a reinforced supporting base. In order to stiffen or strengthen the neck portion and to shape it for closely simulating the corresponding part of a glass bottle, the neck portion is formed with a plurality of longitudinal flutes extending from above the midsectional seam to the reinforced mouth.

The improved machine described in the, above identified parent 2,719,466, and intended to embody container body receiving cells constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises a first blank preparing assembly for successively cutting curved or arcuate blanks from a continuous web or strip of paper, for separating nited States Patent M CC thecut arcuate blanks from the remainder or waste of the paper web or strip, and for applying adhesive to suitable areas of each arcuate blank and crimping the trailing end portion of the blank as the latter is fed or transported to a winding station; and a second blank preparing assembly, operating in synchronism with the first blank preparing assembly, for applying printed matter to a continuous web or strip of paper at suitably spaced locations along the length thereof, for successively cutting the printed web or strip along spaced transverse lines to provide rectangular blanks and simultaneously crimping the trailing end portion of each rectangular blank, and for applying adhesive to a suitable area of each rectangular blank while feeding or transporting such blank to the winding station in paired relation to a corresponding arcuate blank. The machine disclosed in the above identified Patent No. 2,719,466 further includes a first mandrel supporting con veyor, preferably in the form of a turret, which is indexed periodically and in synchronism with the first and second blank preparing assemblies to carry the plurality of mandrels successively to and from dwelling position at a plurality of operating stations disposed at spaced apart locations along the path of travel of the mandrels, as defined by the movement of the turret. These operating stations in the order in which they are arranged include the winding station at which devices are located for winding each pair of arcuate and rectangular blanks fed thereto onto the mandrel then in dwelling position at the winding station to form a wound container body on the mandrel; a pressing station having a device located thereat for pressing the wound container body on the mandrel in dwelling position at the pressing station to compress the midsectional seam and the longitudinal seam of the truncated conical portion of the container body and thus provide a secure bond; a mouth spinning station at which devices are located for spinning engagement with the contracted end of the container body on the mandrel in dwelling position at the spinning station to form a reinforcing rolled,

bead at the mouth of the container body; and a stripping station at which devices are located for removing the container body axially from the mandrel in dwelling position at the stripping station. In order to facilitate the spinning operations which form the reinforcing beads at the month end and base end of the container body and to prevent burning of the latter during such operations, a parafiin applying unit is arranged adjacent the path of travel of the mandrels, between the pressing and mouth spinning stations, for depositing small quantities of paraffin onto each container body, adjacent the opposite ends thereof, as the supporting mandrel is being indexed to the mouth spinning station. The machine for making paper containers, as disclosed in the above identified parent 2,719,466, still further includes a second conveyor, preferably in the form of a turntable, which carries a series of container body receiving cells, constructed in accordance with the present invention, successively to and from dwelling position at a plurality of operating stations arranged at spaced apart locations along the path of travel of the cells, as defined by the movement of the turntable. The operating stations associated with the cell carrying turntable, in the. order in which they are arranged, include a loading station aligned with the stripping station associated with the turret so that a cell dwelling at the loading station is in position to receive a container body as the, latter is removed from its supporting mandrel; a fiuting, mouth shaping and glue applying station at which devices are located for simultaneously forming longitudinal flutes in the neck portion of the container body in the cell dwelling at the related station, initially shaping the bead at the mouth of that container body so that a removable closure will be retained therein, and applying glue to the inner surface of that container body adjacent the base end thereof; a bottom punching and inserting station at which devices are located for punching circular blanks from a continuous web or strip of paper, forming each circular blank into a bottom member of cup-like configuration, and inserting the formed blank into the bottom end of the container body in the cell dwelling at the bottom punching and inserting station so that the skirt or marginal wall portion of the bottom member engages against the band of adhesive applied to the container body at the preceding station, and for completing the shaping of the head at the mouth of the container body in the cell dwelling at the bottom punching and inserting station; a bottom spinning station at which devices are located for spinning engagement with the bottom end of the container body to roll the bottom end portion together with the skirt of the bottom member inwardly thus sealing the bottom of the container body and forming a reinforcing and supporting base for the container body, and for supporting the bottom member in position within the container body carried by the cell dwelling at the bottom spinning station during the performance of the bottom spinning operation; and an ejecting station at which devices are located for pneumatically removing the container body from the cell dwelling at the ejecting station.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the described character having container body receiving cells mounted on a turntable, for movement to and from a plurality of operating stations, and including an improved mechanism for gripping the container in its receiving cell with a variable gripping pressure corresponding to the position of the cell relative to the operating stations, the improved gripping mechanism being designed to provide more accurate control of the gripping pressure and to avoid damage to the gripped container body by reason of an excessive clamping force being applied against an insufficient area.

Another object is to provide a machine of the described character having container body receiving cells mounted on a turntable for movement to and from successively arranged stations including a loading station, a glue applying, fluting and mouth shaping station, a bottom inserting and mouth finishing station, a bottom spinning station and an ejecting station, and wherein each of the container body receiving cells includes cam actuated mechanism for applying a clamping action on a container body received in the cell, which clamping action is only moderate during residence of the latter at the glue applying, flutting and mouth shaping station and is increased to a strong clamping action during the residence of the related cell at the bottom inserting and mouth finishing station and at the bottom spinning station, and for releasing the container body during residence of the related cell at the ejecting station, with such cam actuated mechanism remaining in its released condition while the cell is located at the loading station to receive a container body.

In accordance with the present invention, each of the container body receiving cells comprises a cylindrical housing fixed in a suitable opening in the supporting turntable and having an inwardly bevelled upper edge, an openended container body supporting cup depending from the housing, a circularly arranged series of radially movable clamping elements mounted on the housing and formed with bevelled lower edges seating on the bevelled upper edge of the housing and with oppositely bevelled lower edges, and means for selectively effecting the radial contraction and expansion of the series of clamping elements including a clamping ring formed with a bevelled lower edge seating on the bevelled upper edges of the clamping elements so that downward movement of the clamping ring eflTects radial contraction of the clamping elements, spring means between the housing and clamping ring yieldably urging the latter upwardly, resilient means between the adjacent ends of the successive clamping elements for continuously urging the latter circumferentially apart and 4 thus to their radially expanded positions, an actuating ring rotatable on the cup below the housing, an axially slidable ring on the cup below the actuating ring, means connecting the last mentioned ring to the clamping ring so that the latter is axially movable with the axially slidable ring, sloping grooves formed in the confronting faces of the axially slidable and actuating rings, rolling members in said grooves operative to effect downward movement of the axially slidable ring when the actuating ring is angularly displaced in one direction, spring means for resiliently urging the actuating ring to rotate in the other direction, an actuating rod pivotally connected at its outer end to the actuating ring, means on the turntable supporting the actuating rod for radial sliding movement relative to the turntable, cam follower means on the inner end of the actuating rod, and a radial cam member mounted at the axis of rotation of the turntable in an angularly adjustable fashion and contacted at its periphery by the cam follower means so that, as the turntable rotates, the cam member controls the radial movement of each actuating rod and the radial contraction and expansion of the clamping elements in the related container body receiving cell. Referring to the drawings, and initially to in Figs. 1, 2, 3 of said Patent 2,719,466, the portion 10 of the machine in which the container bodies are formed is there seen to include a substantially rectangular base 11 having two upstanding support members 12 and 13 adjacent one end and a pedestal or support 14 substantially at the center of the front portion of the base. An L-shaped frame member 15 has one leg extending forwardly, or toward the viewer in Fig. 1, and mounted on the support members 12 and 13, and its other leg extending longitudinally of the base 11 to rest upon a lug 16 extending from pedestal 14. The continuous paper strip or web from which the arcuate blanks are formed is stored in the form of a roll 17 which is rotatably mounted between brackets 18 extending forwardly from the support members 12 and 13. The paper strip is drawn off the top of roll 17 toward the rear and is fed to a curved blank cutting assembly which is mounted above the forwardly extending leg of frame 15 by an auxiliary frame part 19 and is generally indicated by the reference numeral 20.

Positioned after the curved blank cutting assembly 20, described above, is a separator assembly constructed to perform a dual function. The separator assembly 100 first serves to dispose of the paper scrap so that it will not interfere with the further advancing of the curved blanks, and also serves to advance and swing or turn the blanks to the required position for further movement along a conveyor to the winding station. It is necessary to swing or turn the curved blanks after they have been cut in order to satisfy the dual requirements of economy in the use of paper, that is, cutting the blanks from the paper strip so that a minimum of paper is wasted, and of efficiency in holding the overall dimensions of the machine to a minimum for easy installation and servicing.

A conveyor assembly is mounted on the longitudinally extending leg of the frame 15 (Fig. 1 of Patent 2,719,466) to receive the curved blank after the latter has been turned on the separator assembly 100 described above and then advance the curved blank to the winding station while glue is applied to selected areas of the blank and the trailing end portion is crimped.

Since the curved blank is destined to form the frustoconical neck part of the container and must be wound on the suitably tapered frusto-conical portion of the mandrel 181 at the winding station, a problem is presented in feeding the curved blank to the tapering surface of the mandrel without twisting or warping the blank. This is accomplished by a turntable assembly which feeds the curved blank along a circular path in a plane inclined relative to the horizontal so that the leading end of the blank tangentially approaches the mandrel at the bottom of the latter.

The operations of the cutting assembly, separator assembly, conveyor assembly and turntable assembly are all integrated and synchronized to successively cut curved blanks and advance the same to the take-up or winding station in position for winding on the frusto-conical portion of the mandrel 181 then residing at the winding station. While these assemblies are successively performing the respective functions, other mechanisms are simultaneously operating during each cycle to provide a suitably formed rectangular blank positioned at the Winding station in proper relation to the curved blank for winding with the latter onto the mandrel to form the container body.

The mechanism for preparing the rectangular blanks for winding draws a continuous strip or web of paper from a roll, applies printed matter to the strip at suitably spaced locations, and then, during movement along a rectangular blank feeder or conveyor assembly 230 (Fig. 3 of Patent 2,719,466) cuts the strip into rectangular sections or blanks while simultaneously crimping the trailing end portion of each blank, applies glue to the trailing half of the upper surface of each blank and forwards the glued blanks to the winding station while registering each blank longitudinally and laterally relative to the corresponding one of the curved or arcuate blanks and relative to the mandrel at the winding station.

The mechanism for preparing the rectangular blanks is carried by a cantilever support 214 extending rearwardly from the central support pedestal 14 (Fig. 3 of Patent 2,719,466) and having brackets 215 at its rear end between which a roll of paper 216 is rotatably mounted. Upstanding frame members 217 and 218 are mounted on the cantilever support 214, adjacent the rear and forward ends, respectively, of the latter, and a printing unit 219 is positioned between these frame members.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing in Patent 2,719,466, an upper turret assembly 272 is rotatably mounted on a turret supporting frame 273 which extends longitudinally of the base 11 and is supported at one end on the central pedestal 14 and at the other end on a frame member 274 extending upwardly from the base at the end of the latter remote from the cutting assembly 20. For the present it is suificient to state that the turret is driven to provide for the rotation of the hub 276 through an angle of 90 for each cycle of the machine, with the hub being maintained for a predetermined interval at an indexed position during each cycle.

A radially extending mandrel assembly 181 is mounted on each of the four fiat side faces of the turret hub 276 for swinging movement with the latter along an orbital path which lies in a vertical plane in front of the frame 273. The axis of rotation of the hub is disposed so that, when each mandrel assembly 181 reaches the horizontal position extending toward the conveyor assembly 130, that mandrel assembly is then at the winding station to have a rectangular blank paired with a curved blank wound thereon.

A winder assembly 294 (Fig. 2 of Patent 2,719,466) is located at the winding station and operates to rotate the mandrel in residence at that station and to guide a pair of rectangular and arcuate blanks around the rotated mandrel to encase the latter in a wound container body of double layers of paper with an interlocked seam between the conical and cylindrical portions thereof.

After the paired rectangular and curved blanks have been wound upon the mandrel to form a container body encasing themandrel shell, the turret is rotated 90 in a clock-wise direction as viewed from the front to next position the container body carrying mandrel at a pressing station, which station is located at the top center of the orbital path followed .by the mandrels. A pressing assembly 330 (Fig. 1 of Patent 2,719,466) is disposed at the pressing station and operates on the container body carried by the mandrel in residence at the related station to press together the doubled layers of the curved blank forming the conical portion of the body and to press the lower edge of the curved blank onto the underlying portion of the rectangular blank forming the cylindrical portion of the body so that a secure and tight bond is obtained at the several seams and between the doubled layers.

From the pressing station the container body supporting mandrel is moved to a mouth forming station, by further rotation of the upper turret 272 through an angle of at which station a rolled head or rim is formed on the end of the conical portion of the container body by a spinning operation. However, in moving from the pressing station to the mouth forming station, each container body supporting mandrel .181 sweeps past a wax pot assembly 337 (Fig. 1 of Patent 2,719,466) which applies paraflin or wax to the container body adjacent its opposite ends to act as a lubricant during subsequent spinning operations.

A month spinner assembly 345 (Figs. 1 and 2 of Patent 2,719,466) is located at the mouth forming station which is diametrically opposed to the winding station and operates to form a rolled bead or rim on the conical end of the container body carried by the mandrel then residing at the mouth spinning or forming station.

After the rolled bead or rim has been formed on the conical end of the container body to define a mouth, the upper turret 272 is a further indexed through 90 to position the container body supporting mandrel at a stripping or transfer station, at which station the mandrel extends vertically down from the turret hub. A transfer assembly 366 (Fig. 1 of Patent 2,719,466) is located at the stripping or transfer station to remove the container body from the mandrel at that station.

A lower turret assembly, generally indicated by the reference numeral 393 (Figs. 1, 46 and 47 of Patent 2,719,466), which receives the container body at the stripping or transfer station includes a turntable having a circular table portion 394 and a depending, hollow base portion 395 within which a king pin or fixed pedestal 396 extends for rotatably supporting the turntable. The king 'pin 396 extends vertically from the base 11 of the machine and is positioned so that the six equally spaced container body receiving cells, carried by the turntable and each generally indicated by the numeral 397 and mounted on the turntable, travel along a circular path which at the transfer station is in vertical alignment with a vertical line passing through the axis of rotation of the upper turret. While the drive of the upper turret is arranged to index it one-quarter of a revolution during each cycle of the machine, the drive of the lower turret assembly, having six equally spaced container body receiving cells 397, is arranged to index the turntable only one-sixth of a revolution during each cycle of the machine.

The drive for the lower turret turntable includes a double sprocket 398 secured concentrically to the lower end of the base portion 395 of the turntable assembly and driven by a suitable drive chain.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale of a container receiving cell of the turret, taken along line 11 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the cell.

In accordance with the present invention, each of the six container body receiving cells 397 is formed by a clamp assembly which includes a substantially cylindrical housing 399 fitting into a suitable circular opening in the turn-table 394 at the cell location and formed with a radial, outwardly directed flange at its upper end to overlie the turntable around the opening and to be secured to the turntable. A cup 400 open at both ends is formed with a cylindrical upper portion threaded into the housing 399 and a frustoconical lower portion of relatively small length. The cup 400 is formed to receive the container body in inverted position with the lower portion of the cup snugly engaging the Widest portion of the conical section of the container to prevent dropping through of the latter. The container body, when positioned in the cup, has its month end extending substantially below the bottom of the cup and 7 its base end extending'above the top surface of the turntable, as shown at 392 of Fig. 47 of Patent 2,719,466.

In order to securely clamp the container body within the cup 400 during certain of the operations performed on the body while carried by the lower turret or turntable assembly, eight clamping sectors 401,combining to form a circular, radially contractible collar, are mounted on the cell 397. Each sector 401 is provided with an outer surface which is formed with substantial bevels at the top and bottom thereof, with the lower bevel resting upon a complementary beveled edge at the top of the inner surface of housing 399. A circular top ring 402 is disposed on top of the sectors 401 and is beveled at its lower inner edge to engage the top bevels of the sectors so that downward movement of the top ring 402 causes the sectors to move radially inward for clamping upon the container body supported in the cup. Springs 403 are positioned between the top ring 401 and the housing 399 to resiliently lift the top ring, while springs 404 are interposed between adjacent sectors so that the sectors are resiliently urged apart to enclose the largest central space that the relative positions of the top ring 401 and housing 399 will permit. In order to move the top ring 401 downwardly, tie bolts 405 extend from the top ring to a pull ring 406 slidable axially on the cup 400. A ring 407 is rotatable on the cup between the pull ring 406 and the bottom edge of the housing 399 with ball bearings 408 being interposed between the latter and the adjacent face of the ring 407, to reduce the frictional resistance to rotation of the latter. Grooves 409 having depths increasing progressively in opposite directions are formed in the confronting faces of the pull ring 406 and the rotatable ring 407 with balls 410 being positioned in these grooves so that rotation of the last mentioned ring in one direction causes the balls to travel into the shallow portions of the related grooves for moving the pull ring and the top ring downwardly. A clevis is secured to the ring 407 and extends radially therefrom for pivotal connection to the outer end of a radial connecting rod 412 which is slidably mounted on the underside of the turntable 394 and carriesa cam followerroller at its inner end. A return spring 414 is secured to each of the rings 407 and to the turntable for resiliently urging the rings to rotate in the direction permitting expansion of the clamping sec tors. A radial cam 415 is mounted on the fixed pedestal 396 in a manner to permit angular adjustment of the cam, and the latter efiects radial movement of the connecting rods 412 as the turntable is rotated.

The earn 415 is shaped to effect release of the clamping sectors 401 when the related cell 397 is positioned at the transfer or loading station, to produce a moderate clamping action when the container body supporting cell is located at a following station at which flutes are formed in the neck portion of the container body, the head at the container mouth is shaped and glue is applied to the interior surface of the container body adjacent the base end thereof, to produce a strong clamping action on the container body while the supporting cell is indexed to two subsequent stations at which a bottom is inserted in the base end of the container body and the mouth head is further shaped and at which the base end of the container body and the edge of the bottom forming member are rolled together by a spinning operation, and finally to effect the return of the sectors to release positions when the cell reaches a later ejection station at which the container is pneumatically removed from the cell.

After receiving the container body at the transfer or loading station, the lower turret is indexed one-sixth of: a. revolution, in a clockwise direction as viewed from the top, to position the container body supporting cell 397 at the tinting, mouth shaping and glue applying station.

Although a particular paper container making machine has been briefly described in connection with the disclosed container body receiving cell construction emg) o bodying this invention, it is to be understood that cells embodying this invention may be employed in other machines where hollow bodies are held at their outer surfaces to permit operations to be performed at their opposite ends or within the interior thereof.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described and shown in detail, by way of illustration, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment, and that changes and modifications, obvious to one skilled in the art, may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A cell for receiving a container body of the described character; said cell comprising a cylindrical housing formed with an inwardly bevelled upper edge, an open ended container body supporting cup depending from said housing, a circularly arranged series of radially movable clamping elements formed with bevelled lower edges seating on said bevelled upper edge of said housing and with oppositely bevelled upper edges, and means for selectively effecting the radial contraction and expansion of said clamping elements including a clamping ring formed with a bevelled lower edge seating on said bevelled upper edges of said clamping elements so that movement of said clamping ring downwardly toward said housing effects radial contraction of said clamping elements, first spring means between said housing and said clamping ring for continuously urging the latter upwardly, second spring means between the adjacent ends of said clamping elements for continuously urging the latter cricumferentially apart and thus to their radially expanded positions, an actuating ring rotatable on said cup below said housing, an axially slidable ring on said cup below said actuating ring, means connecting the last mentioned ring to said clamping ring so that the latter is axially movable with said last mentioned ring, sloping grooves formed in the confronting faces of said last mentioned ring and said actuating ring, rolling members in said grooves operative to effect downward movement of said last mentioned ring when said actuating ring is angularly displaced in one direction, third spring means for resiliently urging said actuating ring to rotate in the other direction, and cam actuated means for angularly displacing said actuating ring in said one direction to thereby effect radial contraction of said clamping elements.

2. A cell for receiving a container body of the described character; said cell comprising a cylindrical housing formed with an inwardly bevelled upper edge, an open ended container body supporting cup depending from said housing, a circularly arranged series of radially movable clamping elements formed with bevelled lower edges seating on said bevelled upper edge of the housing and with oppositely bevelled upper edges, and means for selectively effecting radial contraction and expansion of the clamping elements including a clamping ring formed with a bevelled lower edge seated on said bevelled upper edges of the clamping elements so that downward movement of the clamping ring toward said housing produces radial contraction of the clamping elements, resilient means yieldably urging said clamping elements to radially expanded positions, and means for selectively displacing said clamping ring upwardly and downwardly relative to said housing including spring means between said housing and said clamping ring for continuously urging the latter upwardly, an actuating ring rotatable on said cup below said housing, an axially slidable ring on said cup adjacent said actuating ring, means connecting said clamping ring to said slidable ring for axial movement with the latter, means interposed between said axially slidable ring and said actuating ring to translate angular movement of the latter into axial movement of said slidable ring and means operative to effect angular displacement of said actuating ring in opposite directions to permit radial expansion, and to cause radial contraction, respectively, of said clamping elements.

3. A cell for receiving a container body of the described character according to claim 2, wherein said means interposed between said axially slidable ring and said actuating ring includes mated sloping grooves formed in the confronting faces of said axially slidable and actuating rings, and rolling members received in said slop ing grooves to elfect downward movement of said axially References Cited in the file of this patent slidable ring when said actuating ring is angularly dis- 10 2,642,784

placed in one direction.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Powers Feb. 25, 1913 Hanson July 1, 1924 Ertel Dec. 22, 1931 Mandell Mar. 27, 1945 Schmidt Nov. 16, 1948 Stoner Apr. 5, 1949 Wittkuhns et a1. June 23, 1953 

